Sparkyville, USAEpisode 15: Return to Normal
by HPDrummerman
Summary: With Violet locked up in prison herself, the folks in town try to return to some sense of normal. Grant tries to figure out where he went wrong with Violet growing up. Charlie Brown returns to work after the trial ends. Frieda tries to work things out with Pig Pen. And Sally gets along well with the new COO of Grant Industries.
1. Chapter 1

Episode 15: Return to Normal

**CHAPTER 1: AFTER THE FALL**

Things in Sparkyville were finally quieting down. Violet was locked away in prison serving her sentence. In fact, when it was time for the military court martial to begin for her charges against Charlie being a staff sergeant in the Marines, she fired her counsel and pled guilty in exchange for a lighter sentence in that case. She ended up receiving an extra ten years on top of her ten to twenty she was already serving. Though she would be eligible for parole after serving at least five years of her time. With Violet locked away never to be seen again for years, the town and her former friends were getting back to normal.

Charlie had returned to the recruitment center and resumed work. Pat and Mary were working at Ray's Diner, as usual. Lucy was looking for work after being paroled herself. Linus was working at the library. Schroeder and Franklin were doing their jobs at the high school. And Sally had come back to Gray Industries with open arms, resuming her internship. And Grant Gray had introduced her to the new COO, Mason Wallace. Sally and Mason had hit it off immediately.

"So Sally," Mason began, "I heard my predecessor was a bit of a handful to say the least."

"She was, Mr. Wallace," said Sally. "I just want to forget about her."

"I understand," said Mason. "You can call me 'Mason', by the way. I can assure you and the other interns that I won't have you doing my errands that don't pertain to the business. And I don't hold petty grudges, either."

"That's good to hear." At that moment, Grant walked up to the two.

"How is everything, you two?" he asked.

"Great, Mr. Gray," said Sally. "I like your new COO here."

"I assured Sally that she would have no further troubles here, sir," added Mason.

"Very good," said Grant with a smile. "Keep up the good work, Mason. And I'm glad you're back, Sally."

"Thank you, sir," said Sally. And Grant continued to his office. Once he was in there, he sat down at his desk. He looked at a photo of Violet from when she was a kid. She was smiling, but behind that smile hid a dark personality that she for a time successfully hid from him. Even though he disowned her, he still felt a lot of guilt over how she turned out. How she used to gloat about him hiding the fact that things were far from perfect in her world. Had he'd seen the signs early on, maybe he could've saved her from what she would become. Maybe not. But one thing for certain was that he knew he should have been there more for her. As he thought about it, tears formed in his eyes. He crumpled to his desk and sobbed softly.

"Where did I go wrong?"

"Where did I go wrong?" That was what Frieda was asking herself as she walked up to Pig Pen's door at his pad. She was ready for him to shut the door on her or tell her to 'get lost', but she was determined to see if their relationship could be saved. She took a deep breath, and knocked on the door. No answer at first. She knocked again.

"Hold on, I'm coming!" He was home, at least. She held her breath that he wouldn't shut her out. When he opened the door, she wasn't greeted by any kind of hostility or anger. Instead he stood silent.

"Matt," she began, "before you close the door on me, at least hear me out. I am so sorry for what I did that night at the Beagle. I even told that guy that I was dating someone and that I couldn't have his number. I now know I shouldn't had led that guy on and disrespected you in that fashion."

"No, you shouldn't have," agreed Pig Pen.

"But I don't want to give up on us, Matt," Frieda pleaded. "I know I messed up and you have every right to be mad at me! I just want to try to work things out with you, please! Forgive me, baby!" By this time, Frieda was bawling at his door. Pig Pen sighed.

"Come in, Frieda," he said, dryly. "We do need to sort this out." And he took Frieda's hand and escorted her inside his place so they could talk and figure out where they would go from there.

**NEXT CHAPTER: THE SARGE IS BACK!**


	2. Chapter 2

**CHAPTER 2: SGT. BROWN TAKES CHARGE AGAIN**

"Corporals!" Charlie was back in charge at the recruitment center after taking time off for Violet's trials. He had Cormac and Kevin there ready for their next assignment. Cormac was exceling great, while Kevin still struggled. He was at risk of being demoted back to Private First Class, while Cormac was well on his way from being Lance Corporal to Corporal.

"Today you will due an assembly at Oakwood High School in Leesville," said Charlie. "Tell them about the benefits of being a Marine and joining up with the Corps. Understood?"

"YES, SIR!" said both Lance Corporals.

"You are dismissed."

"AYE, AYE, SIR!" And they left and went to do their assigned duty. Colonel Clarke came walking in as soon as the lance corporals left.

"How does it feel being back, sergeant?" he asked.

"Pretty good, sir," said Charlie. "I needed to get my mind off of what happened at my place Christmas Eve."

"Well now that the trials of Ms. Gray are done with, you can focus on your duties here again, for sure."

"I plan on it, sir. I won't let what happened affect my duties as a Marine."

"That's what I wanted to hear, sergeant. Carry on."

"Yes, sir!" And he saluted the colonel. After Clarke left, Charlie resumed his office work. He was glad to be back at the center. His time away was far from a vacation having to deal with what Violet tried to do to him and his family and friends. But now that she was locked away in prison, he could get back to his job.

After work, Charlie got back home and relaxed. He turned on the TV and watched the local news. They were still talking about Violet and her downfall. This particular night, one of the news anchors were interviewing Violet's former attorney Dick Sadler.

"Good grief, this clown?!" sighed Charlie, seeing the inept attorney on screen.

"_So, Mr. Sadler_," said the attractive blonde news anchor, "_What will happen next with Ms. Gray as she serves her sentence?_"

"_Well, I'm no longer involved in Ms. Gray's case_," said Dick on the TV screen. "_She had let me and her other co-counsel go after her first trial ended. Hopefully whoever she has as her new attorney can help get her out of her current situation with the appeal process._"

Charlie heard the door open, and he turned away from the news going to a channel showing a rerun of _Sandra On the Side_, an old 90s sitcom starring native Sparkyville resident, Penelope Hawkins, who had tragically passed from leukemia years earlier. Sally walked in with some dinner for the group.

"Hey, Char," greeted Sally. "You haven't ordered any dinner yet, did you?"

"Just walked in myself, Sally," said Charlie. "I see you got some of Colonel's Famous Recipe. I do hope you have enough. Pat will be stopping by."

"Oh I have more than enough," assured Sally. "Pat's practically living here now!"

"Touché, sis!" And the two siblings got things ready for dinner. Pat would be not too far behind and would join them for dinner. Things at the Brown household was finally coming back to normal.

**NEXT CHAPTER: GRANT'S FOLLY**


	3. Chapter 3

**CHAPTER 3: A FATHER'S GRIEF**

Grant Gray was at home in his office looking out the window. Violet was on his mind. Even though he had cut her off and effectively disowned her, he still felt guilt over her upbringing. He was so focused on growing his company that he neglected to see the drastic change in her and how she was treating her fellow classmates, Charlie Brown in particular. He knew he should have told her it wasn't healthy to carry around so much hate for one boy and ask what he even do to deserve said hatred. He also figured the hatred towards him stemmed from the jealousy she harbored for the Brown family as a whole.

Silas Brown, like Grant, was a business man himself, though nowhere near the vast wealth of the Gray family. Silas owned his own barber shop and made a pretty decent amount of money for the family. While they were nowhere as rich as the Grays, the Browns were better-off than most families in the middle-class neighborhood they lived in. But one thing the Browns had that the Grays didn't was family closeness. Silas, no matter how busy he was, would take time out for his kids, wife, and Snoopy. No one doubted that Grant loved his family, and Violet would dote on her father at every opportunity, especially to Charlie Brown, but they really didn't have that closeness the Browns had.

The Grays, for a better term, were fractured. While father and daughter were loving to each other when they did get together, the mother, Kathleen, was virtually absent from their lives. And when she did make her presence known, she was out of rehab for a brief spell. She would be there for holidays and special occasions, but for the most part, she was addicted to alcohol and hard drugs. Before Violet was born, Grant and Kathleen used to go out on the town quite a bit. They partied almost every weekend and even some weekdays. But after Violet was born, Grant settled down and got serious about his family, but Kathleen never fully abandoned her party lifestyle. And whenever the Grays would have a get-together with friends, she'd be wasted almost immediately, thus leading to her being in and out of rehab most of Violet's life. It didn't help that she wasn't particularly motherly to the girl, either, which also might have influenced her automatic animosity towards the Browns. Maureen Brown was a kind mother and often defended her kids when they were bullied at school and even comforted her. Maureen had words with Grant himself over Violet's rotten treatment of her son more often than not. Kathleen would usually insult young Violet saying that she was homely and that she was worthless. If folks knew what Violet went through growing, they may have had more compassion for her when she was sentenced at her trial. That may have been why she was close to her father and doted on him whenever he was around because he loved his daughter dearly and she loved him. That was why it devastated Violet when Grant disowned her and cut her off.

Grant was looking out the window watching the landscapers plow the snow from the driveway. It was the weekend and he didn't have to go to work. Kathleen, who was home from her two hundredth trip to rehab, walked in and wondered what was wrong with him.

"Grant?" she began. "Everything copasetic?"

"Oh, hey Kat," he sighed. "Was just thinking."

"About Violet?" asked Kathleen.

"That and other things," Grant responded. "I should have been around for her growing up. Maybe she wouldn't be in prison now had I raised her right."

"Oh, forget about the little bitch!" Kathleen snapped. "I say good riddance to that little pain in the ass. I should have aborted her when I had the chance!"

"Stop it, Kathleen!"

"No! She did us a favor by landing in the pen! And you finally did the right thing cutting that little bitch loose! Now it can be just us two again! I only wished you haven't left her some money for when she got out."

"What the hell's the matter with you, woman?! That's our daughter you're talking about! I feel awful about letting her go! I can only imagine what she's going through right now!"

"Bullshit! We're finally free of her and you STILL talk about her and actually MISS HER?! Grant, we're free! You didn't give her the gun and tell her to try to wipe out the entire Brown family! She did that all on her own! Sure she may have been jealous of them, but what did she REALLY have to be jealous about?! We have more dough than TWO families like the Browns!"

"Maybe it wasn't about the money with her. Have you fucking though about that, Kathleen?!"

"Maybe not, but the point is, it's not our fault she went postal and try to kill and entire family!"

"Well, maybe it is, Kat."

"What do you mean?"

"Maybe, just maybe, WE should have been there for her more. WE should have raised her better. And WE should have been better parents. YOU especially!"

"I DIDN'T WANT THE LITTLE BRAT, YOU DID, ASSHOLE!"

"YOU GODDAMN RIGHT I WANTED HER! I LOVED HER!"

"WELL **I DIDN'T**! I was happier when it was just the two of us! We didn't have to raise a snot-nosed brat and make sure she got her education, make sure she was well-fed, et cetera et cetera! We could go to the finest restaurants, travel to exotic places, sleep until noon. But we ended up having a kid, working to feed and clothe her, taking her to doctor's appointments, living a dull life!"

"It's called responsibility, Kathleen!"

"WELL I DIDN'T WANT THAT, GRANT! I WANTED IT TO BE JUST US!"

"WELL YOU KNOW WHAT, KATHLEEN?! IT CAN BE **JUST YOU NOW**! PACK YOUR SHIT AND GET OUT OF THIS HOUSE! I'M DONE WITH YOU!"

"WHAT?!"

"MONDAY, I AM FILING FOR DIVORCE! I'M SICK AND TIRED OF HAVING TO DEAL WITH YOUR DRUGGED-OUT RANTS, ALCOHOLIC RAGES, AND DEGRADING OUR OWN DAUGHTER! NO WONDER SHE'S SO MESSED UP HERSELF! I KNOW I COULD HAVE DONE BETTER, TOO, BUT UNLIKE YOU, YOU SELFISH WITCH, _**I**_ CAME TO MY SENSES AND REALIZED IT! I'LL GIVE YOU A HALF HOUR TO GATHER YOUR THINGS! **NOW GET THE FUCK OUT OF MY OFFICE!**"

Kathleen was beside herself. Her husband had told her he was divorcing her. She said meekly, "Grant, I…"

"_**LEAVE!**_"

Kathleen ran out. Grant, in a boiling rage, slid all of the stuff on his desk off and onto the floor, including his computer keyboard, monitor, and mouse. He then went over to his private bar ad made himself a scotch on the rocks, calming himself down. He thought about what had transpired.

"I'm so sorry, Violet!" he wept.

**NEXT CHAPTER: MAKING UP**


	4. Chapter 4

**CHAPTER 4: TRYING AGAIN**

As the Grays were gearing up for a battle in Divorce Court, Frieda and Pig Pen were trying to mend their relationship. They went out to eat dinner at a fancy restaurant and even went to the movies. Later they found themselves at the park, walking in the brisk winter weather. They were bundled up and dressed warm.

"So how did you enjoy the movie?" asked Frieda.

"It was good," said Pig Pen. "The food was pretty good at the restaurant, as well."

"Yes it was. Listen, Matt, I am sorry for everything I put you through. I do love you and only you. Sometimes I get carried away with my flirty attitude when I'm dancing with guys. I know you don't mind it when I'm dancing with others because you're not much for dancing, but I tell all of them that I have a boyfriend. If it'll make you feel better, I won't dance with them anymore."

"Frieda, I know you are sorry. And I want to believe nothing happened with you and that guy at the Beagle. It was more him than you."

"Exactly!"

"And I am willing to try again. We do need to work on our relationship and build up trust in each other. As far as I go, a pretty woman may come my way. And though I may check her out, I'd never try to pick her up, not while I have you. And I don't want to lose you."

"And I don't want to lose you, either, baby! I love you!"

"I love you, too!" And Pig Pen and Frieda kissed each other and hugged. Frieda was crying, as was Pig Pen. They wanted their relationship to work out the best it could.

Back at the Brown household, Charlie was coming in with groceries. He looked out in the backyard at Snoopy's old doghouse. It sat empty for years after his passing. He sighed at the memory of his beloved beagle.

"I really miss you, old pal," he said. Snapping out of his brief melancholy, he put away the groceries. Pat walked in and greeted her boyfriend.

"Hey, Chuck baby," she cooed, kissing him. "Was hoping you'd get back soon. Everything okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine, Pat," said Charlie. "Was looking out at the Snoopy's old house. I miss him some days and wish he was still here. Though I know he's in a better place now, it still hurts from time to time."

"I understand, babe. We all miss Snoopy. And though no other dog will replace him by a long shot, have you thought about getting another dog?"

"Not really. Was never ready to deal with that again. Bur maybe, now is time."

"One of these days we should go out looking for another beagle. What do you say, Chuck?"

"I think we should, Patty. It would be great to have a dog around here again, even if he isn't Snoopy. And with Violet locked away in prison not causing any more trouble, I can focus on important stuff, as well as finding a new dog."

"Did you say getting a new dog?" Sally walked in and joined them.

"Pat and I were talking about how I miss Snoopy and everything," said Charlie to his sister.

"I understand, bro," said Sally. "It would be nice to have another dog around the house."

"We were thinking about that too, now that the drama with Violet is finished," said Charlie. "Incidentally, how are you getting along with the new COO at Gray Industries?"

"Mason is great!" doted Sally. "Far nicer than Violet, though to be fair, ANYONE, even Lucy when she used to be crabby all the time, would be nicer than Violet."

"Good point, Sally," laughed Pat. And the folks all went into the living room to watch some TV. Pat had ordered pizza for everyone and they were going to enjoy a night at home. With Violet gone for a long time, they could now enjoy life and relax.

**THE END**


End file.
